30 Wallpapered Rooms That Will Have You Tossing Out Your Paint Cans
From floral backdrops to contemporary graphic motifs, these spaces get a boost from perfectly patterned walls.
“This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death,” Oscar Wilde once said, a few weeks before he passed away, in a cheap hotel in Paris. “One or the other of us has to go.” It’s hard to imagine that anything could inspire such passion in a dying man—let alone a wall covering. But the truth is wallpaper can make or break a room, rendering it timelessly chic or permanently tragic. We sifted through the AD archives to find 30 rooms in which wallpaper plays a starring role. In these thoughtful spaces, the element acts as both scene-stealer and backdrop, drawing the eye and adding dimension while allowing the drama of life to unfold against an all-too-beautiful setting. From unexpected stairways and powder rooms to decadent master suites and living rooms, each design elicits a different response: subtle romance, vibrant energy, urbane glam. Whichever resonates with you, rest assured: This trend isn’t going anywhere.Shown: In Ali Wentworth and George Stephanopoulos’s Manhattan apartment, which was designed by Michael S. Smith, hand-painted chinoiserie wallpaper by Gracie forms a backdrop to the master suite’s Italian neoclassical bed, which is dressed in Nancy Koltes linens. (H/T: Architectural Digest)
Photo: Scott Frances
The powder room of a house in Monte Carlo designed by Timothy Whealon features Phillip Jeffries wallpaper and Dornbracht fittings.
Photo: Simon Watson
In the master bedroom of a Mississippi house decorated by Richard Keith Langham, the wallpaper is from Lee Jofa; custom-embroidered curtains of a Clarence House taffeta frame the windows.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
French scenic wallpapers introduce exotic panoramas to the entrance hall and staircase of a 1754 Georgian residence in Washington, D.C., which was redecorated by Gomez Associates.
Photo: Scott Frances
De Gournay wallpaper sheathes the dining room of designer Laura Santos’s Manhattan apartment, where Hervé Van der Straeten light fixtures from Ralph Pucci International hang above a BDDW table and a suite of Paul Frankl chairs.
Photo: Nikolas Koenig
In a Los Angeles house designed by Michael S. Smith, a Gracie wallpaper depicting views of the Turkish coastline animates the dining room, which is furnished with a 19th-century cupboard from Niall Smith Antiques, George I–style chairs, and a dining table by Jasper.
Photo: Scott Frances
Schweitzer linens dress the bed in the master suite of a Connecticut homedesigned by Miles Redd. The floral theme of the de Gournay wallpaper is matched by the Bennison fabric on the Louis XVI side chair.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna
In the entry hall of a Chicago apartment designed by Jean-Louis Deniot, the wallpaper is by Zoffany, the sunburst mirror is by Van der Straeten from Ralph Pucci International, and the mirrored marble-top console is a Serge Roche–inspired design by Deniot.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna
In Victoria Hagan’s Connecticut home, Gracie wallpaper transforms the powder room into a garden; the basin and pedestal are by Urban Archaeology, and the sink fittings are by Waterworks.
Photo: Francesco Lagnese
In a Manhattan apartment renovated by Edward Siegel and decorator Ernest de la Torre, a wallpaper conceived by De la Torre and custom made by de Gournay decorates the three-story stairwell.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
A Cy Twombly “Blackboard” painting and a small geometric Franz Kline play off the hand-painted Gracie scenic wallpaper in the dining room of a Philadelphia-area house designed by Thomas Jayne.
Photo: Roger Davies
Carolyn Ray wallpaper lines the master bedroom in a Shelter Island, New York, home designed by Philip Galanes.
Photo: Roger Davies
Chinoiserie wallpaper by de Gournay lines the wife’s office in a New York City home by David Kleinberg Design Associates; the Jean-Charles Moreux gueridon by the window is from Craig Van Den Brulle, and the carpet is by Tai Ping.
Photo: Eric Piasecki
A plethora of patterns enlivens a guest room in a Greenwich, Connecticut, home designed by Miles Redd, from a Farrow & Ball wallpaper to a vintage fabric on the Louis XVI settee and chair; the swing-arm sconces and ceiling fixture are from Circa Lighting, and the table lamp is from Treillage.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna
A Katie Ridder wallpaper from Holland & Sherry lines a powder room in an Atlanta home decorated by Suzanne Kasler.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
Gracie wallpaper lines a powder room in a Federalist-style Houston homecreated by Allan Greenberg and Elissa Cullman.
Photo: Björn Wallander
Dubbed the Bali Isle Room, the guest quarters of a cottage in the Bahamas by Andrew Raquet Interior Design combine a primitive-style China Seas wallpaper with citrus hues.
Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo
A de Gournay wallpaper lines daughter Dagny’s room in the Texas home of designer Sara Story; the vintage chair is covered in a Josef Frank linen from Svenskt Tenn.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
Designer Rain Philips chose vintage Rose Cumming wallpaper for the upper walls and ceiling of a kitchen in Manhattan; the stove is by AGA.
Photo: Björn Wallander
A guest room in designer Ray Booth’s Nashville home features a Groundworks wallpaper from Lee Jofa and a custom-made bed.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
An Elizabeth Dow striped wallpaper adds a tailored look to a Los Angeles master bath designed by Michael S. Smith; the mirror is by Jasper, the tub is by Waterworks, the tub fittings are by Michael S. Smith for Kallista, and the teak trolley is from Lee Stanton Antiques.
Photo: Scott Frances
The office in a Southampton, New York, home by Carrier and Company is clad in an Eskayel wallpaper; the brass floor lamp is from Neo-Studio, and the rug is by Sam Kasten Handweaver.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
In an apartment revived by designer Mark Gillette, on a 300-year-old English country estate, the guest room is sheathed in a Colefax and Fowler wallpaper; the floor lamps are by Vaughan, and the carpeting is by Stark.
Photo: Luke White
Gillette chose a wallpaper by Brunschwig & Fils to grace the master bath.
Photo: Luke White
Ralph Lauren Home plaid wallpaper lines a dressing room at Late Night with Seth Meyers designed by Ashe + Leandro; the sconces are by Jason Koharik from Lawson-Fenning, and the television is by Samsung.
Photo: Joshua McHugh
In a Brooklyn brownstone designed by Nick Olsen, children share a room lined with a Sandberg wallpaper from Stark; the Fine Arts Furniture trundle beds are dressed with RH bedding.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
A children’s room in a Manhattan apartment by Robert A.M. Stern springs to life with a vivid Osborne & Little wallpaper.
Photo: Simon Upton
In a Hamptons house designed by Matthew Patrick Smyth, Tyler Hall wallpaper brightens a guest room, where bookshelves contain a complete set of the Penguin Classics Library; the vintage mirrors are English, and the wicker sofa’s cushions are covered in a Great Plains fabric.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
An Iksel Decorative Arts wallpaper wraps the primary family room in a Houston mansion designed by Miles Redd; the infanta painting is by Agustin Hurtado, and the chairs are slipcovered in a Schumacher ikat.
Photo: Thomas Loof
In the daughter’s room of an Adirondacks, New York, home designed by Thom Filicia, a Cavern wallpaper adds a woodsy note; the vintage beds are painted in a Benjamin Moore green, the sconces are by the Urban Electric Co., and the carpet is a Matthew Williamson design for the Rug Company.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn
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